


It's Because He Loves You

by NamelesslyNightlock



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Love Confessions, M/M, Pining, Protective Loki (Marvel), Rescue, Romantic Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 00:45:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19162357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NamelesslyNightlock/pseuds/NamelesslyNightlock
Summary: Loki rescues Tony from a brutal kidnapping, but that’s only the beginning. Confined to a small space for an uncertain amount of time, they learn to know each other in ways that they never had before.





	It's Because He Loves You

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Will Your God Save You?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19148503) by [STARSdidathing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing). 



> Sorry to everyone who might have been expecting me to post something completely different to this today, but when STARS posted the fic that inspired this one I figured I might as well switch around my queue. I'll post that one I mentioned on discord probably next week now. But in the meantime, enjoy some injured Tony and caring Loki!

Tony couldn’t remember much.

He knew that he had been kidnapped only because he remembered the sheer _panic_ , the horrible, desperate prayer of _no, please, not again._ He didn’t remember how they had taken him from the Revengers’ ship, or why they wanted him. But he did remember the blood, not all of it his own– he remembered the cries and the _screams_ and a soft, soft touch to his cheek. Arms that cradled him close, and whispered promises in his ear that he couldn’t _remember_ but that made him feel safer than he thought possible, even when those hands left fresh streaks of red over his already bloody skin.

It didn’t feel like he was missing much, in terms of time. Tony didn’t think he could have been held by the ones who had captured him for very long, whoever _they_ were– but it had been long enough for them to shatter bones, to tear skin, to leave him little more than a shuddering wreck.

Maybe he’d threatened in the beginning. Maybe he’d cursed. Maybe he’d promised them pain after he finally got free, or when his friends arrived to help him.

_They won’t be able to find you here._

But by the time his saviour came to take him away, Tony had already forgotten why he’d been fighting, lost to the pain and the madness as he was carried somewhere calmer.

“I’m here, Anthony.”

“You’re safe now.”

“I’ve got you.”

—◇—

 _Flickers_.

A warm cloth wiping over his skin, deft fingers gently soothing his injuries, wounds pricking as electricity bounced over his nerves.

He was in and out, splashes of consciousness, moments of lucidity between seemingly endless spans of nothing.

The first time he managed to open his eyes, it was dark and Tony was lying alone. His wrists and ankles felt light without the shackles but heavy with pain. Still, he reached out blindly, his eyes pulling open, looking and searching but not _finding_.

A small spark against a door caught his eye, and he turned his head just enough to see what it was.

 _Green_.

Tony’s lips hurt as he smiled, but as he closed his eyes once again, his sleep was calm and quiet.

—◇—

When Tony finally opened his eyes with a sense of wakefulness, it was to the sound of a soft, angry voice– but it was so familiar that even in anger it helped him relax.

“ _Thor,_ you must come faster than that, we are exposed… no, there is no– _No_.”

The exhaustion was creeping over him, and everything _hurt._ He didn’t know where he was, or why they weren’t back on the ship, or what had happened. But he did know one thing, and he reached out to brush his fingers along soft leather.

“Loki,” he said, the name hoarse and hurting as it pulled from his throat, which was already so damaged from screaming.

“Anthony,” Loki gasped, the communicator falling to the bed as he leaned down in concern from where he was perched on the edge of Tony’s mattress. His fingers brushed Tony’s cheek so gently, as if he were afraid that Tony would shatter from the slightest touch, and when he spoke again the whisper was almost reverent. “You are awake.”

 _Barely_.

Tony simply lowered his chin in a gentle nod, holding Loki’s concerned gaze for a moment, a question in his eyes.

“You were taken,” Loki explained, understanding without needing further prompting. “Their ship is much faster than ours so I skywalked to find you. The others cannot get here for a few days.” He glanced to the communicator that remained between them on the bed. “They will be as quick as they can, but in the meantime, I have warded us in. You are safe, I promise.”

Tony tried to clear his throat, wet his lips, so that maybe speech wouldn’t hurt so much. “How far?”

“Far enough,” Loki said firmly, knowing that Tony wasn’t asking about the Revengers. Then his eyes darkened as he added, “You do not need to worry, I ensured that they can never hurt you again.”

And Tony knew what that meant. He did remember the screams, remembered being confused that they weren’t _his_. But rather than feeling horrified, all he could do was stare at Loki with gratitude.

“Thank you,” he said. “For coming for me.”

“I’m sure you would have found a way out eventually,” Loki replied, though his voice was soft, and laced with a pained undertone.

Because yeah, maybe Tony would have, or maybe not. Either way, he likely would not have been in one piece. He owed Loki so much more than he could say, and Loki… was not even meeting his gaze.

Recognising that Loki needed a moment, Tony cast his own wandering eyes over the dimly-lit space. The room they were in was tiny, hardly any larger than a closet, with the one bed and a small desk the only furnishings. It was dim and grimy, with no windows and only a single light fitting hanging from the ceiling, and even that gave the occasional flicker.

But Loki had promised that it was safe– so Tony knew that it would be.

He was pulled from his visual exploration by Loki’s gentle touch, a hand running down his arm this time, still soft and barely making contact.

“How do you feel?” Loki asked.

Tony grimaced, and Loki winced along with him.

“Right,” he said. “Where?”

As Tony directed Loki to the areas where he felt the most pain, he noticed that he didn’t have any open wounds. All of the cuts and bruises that had littered his skin until there was hardly a part of it uninjured all appeared to have healed.

Tony also noted the dark shadows under Loki’s eyes, and he wondered if the two observations might be related.

After all, he knew from their time together as Revengers that Loki wasn’t comfortable with healing, that it had never really been his forte.

They had the decency to keep it to themselves, but sometimes Tony wondered if the other Revengers thought that Loki refused their requests out of spite or laziness– but Tony knew his friend better than that. Loki had explained that healing with seiðr required a kind of intimacy with the patient that he had never been willing to experience, and that he had never believed anyone would trust him with anyway, so he had never really tried to learn. But now he had healed, _was_ _still healing_ Tony, even though Tony was quite certain Loki had long since done enough to get him out of the woods.

As if to confirm Tony’s thoughts, Loki’s exploring fingers paused on Tony’s left shoulder and said, “I healed everything I could reach on the surface, and did my best to mend your bones. Muscles are harder, and most of your injures still lie below your skin.” He frowned. “They will be difficult to heal, but—”

“Then don’t,” Tony said.

Loki finally looked up and caught his gaze, his eyes widening almost imperceptibly but otherwise showing no outward signs of surprise. “Why…?”

Tony thought it was quite the class act, but he could still see straight through it. He just wished he could say everything that ran through his mind, because he wanted to tell Loki how grateful he was for everything that the god had done. Loki had just skywalked who knew how far, had rescued Tony in a bloody fight, carried him to safety, warded them in and then healed what he could– and after all that, Loki was _exhausted_. Despite the way he tried to hide it, Tony could see it in the slump to his usually straight posture, in the glaze over his eyes, in the slight, _slight_ tremble of his fingers. But he knew he would never be able to get the words out, not with the way he was feeling, and he didn’t want to try before he could do it properly.

He hated it, but it was going to have to wait. So—

“Because you don’t need to,” he said instead. “Just… rest.”

It looked like it physically pained Loki to agree, his lips pressing together in a tight line and his eyes turning hard. But Tony knew that Loki would not use magic to heal him now, not until Tony asked for it again—

And with Loki in this state, Tony knew he never would. Not until Loki had recovered.

“Rest,” Loki said eventually. “Very well. But tomorrow, you will _heal_.”

Tony rolled his eyes, glad that movement, at least, didn’t hurt. If he’d had the energy, he might have made some quip about the human body being able to heal perfectly well on its own, thank you very much– but then, he wouldn’t have wanted to make it seem like he was ungrateful for all that Loki had done. So, he kept quiet—

Right until the direction of Loki’s gaze made it clear that he was intending to sleep on the floor. The hard, grimy floor that Tony would not have wished upon (most of) his worst enemies, let alone one of his best friends.

“No,” Tony said, starting to shift to one side of the narrow bed. “No, there’s enough room—”

“You are injured,” Loki replied sharply. “I will not—”

“No,” Tony said again. “You healed me, mostly.” The cuts were healed over, they couldn’t reopen, and once they were settled he was sure he would be fine. He’d slept in far worse spots over the years, after all.

Loki still looked dubious.

“Loki,” Tony said, curling his hands around the edge of Loki’s coat. “Please.”

When Loki finally gave in, it was with a long sigh and further slump to his shoulders as his leather armour melted away with the familiar green shine of Loki’s seiðr, becoming softer and more conducive to a good night’s sleep. Tony had to shift right to the edge of the bed, and there still wasn’t _really_ room until Loki lifted him gently and slid underneath, so that Tony was half resting on Loki’s chest and their legs were tangled together.

“Does it hurt?” Loki asked.

“No,” Tony replied. It was only half a lie, because while he wasn’t suddenly cured, he certainly didn’t feel any worse, and leaning against Loki was actually _more_ comfortable than the lumpy mattress.

Loki was tense, at first, until Tony reached out to poke at one of Loki’s stiff elbows. And then, slowly, one of Loki’s arms curled around Tony’s waist, and the other came to rest over Tony’s shoulders, his hand gently stroking Tony’s hair. It felt nice, and _safe_ , and Tony curled into Loki’s side, melting into his embrace, going boneless and just relaxing completely. The rhythmic movement of Loki’s hand in his hair began to lull him toward slumber, and his eyes fell closed.

He was only a flutter away from sleep when Loki shifted ever so slightly, his lips pressing gently to the top of Tony’s head.

“Thank the Norns that you are well,” Loki whispered, his voice little more than a breath of air as his lips traced gently over Tony’s skin. “Oh, Anthony,” he sighed. “If only I could have you in my arms every night.”

 _Yeah_ , Tony thought sleepily, nuzzling into the curve of Loki’s neck as his mind finally slipped into darkness. _That would be nice_.

—◇—

Waking to the sensation of being restrained should have shaken him. It should have sent him into a panic, breath short and heart quick. But… the weight on his waist and over his shoulders was warm, and the soft breath that ruffled against his hair reminded him of what had happened the night – if it had been night – before.

It seemed that they had hardly moved in their sleep save to press even closer together, Loki’s arms holding him close, Tony’s head still resting snugly in the curve of Loki’s shoulder. It was nice, and it was comfortable, and Tony almost let himself fall back into sleep again if his gaze had not been caught by Loki’s expression.

Loki didn’t seem to be sleeping peacefully– his brow was pinched with a tension that Tony ached to smooth away. Tony knew that it was probably nightmares– he’d had enough himself to recognise the signs, and while his own usually resulted in tangled sheets and a hoarse throat, he knew Loki was one to suffer in silence.

“Hey, Lokes,” Tony whispered, cupping Loki’s cheek and stroking gently with his thumb. He wished he could stroke Loki’s soft hair, but it was splayed over the mattress, and their position made it impossible. “It’s all right,” he soothed instead, pressing further against him even as he continued his movement. “You’re all right.”

As Loki’s expression began to clear and the tension in Loki’s arms relaxed, Tony started to smile. Loki no doubt would have denied it, but he deserved to have someone look after him, especially after everything Loki had done for him.

He remembered how adamant Loki had been that he would need to heal him in the morning, wanting to make sure that Tony would be okay without much consideration for his own health. How Loki had raced across galaxies to save him, fighting to the point of exhaustion. And he remembered Loki’s soft smile, how he had seemed so happy as they curled together, almost as if he—

Oh.

 _Oh_.

Loki must have thought that Tony wasn’t awake enough to hear, but what he’d said, about wanting to curl up with Tony every night– he’d _meant_ that. And while yeah, it was comfortable, you don’t just say things like that because someone makes a good pillow.

You say things like that when you…

Well.

When you _mean_ them.

Holy—

 _Dear Lord_ , Loki was—

Well, if not in love with him, then at least well on his way to being so.

Perhaps Tony should have realised it before, because with that in mind, so many other little things just suddenly made sense. It wasn’t just the way that Loki had hunted him down, leaving the other Revengers behind and risking his own safety to get Tony safe as soon as he possibly could. It was the way that Loki smiled when Tony entered a room, or the way he didn’t snap at being interrupted the way he would for anyone else. The way that Loki would bring coffee to Tony’s work space on the ship, even though Tony _knew_ there was no coffee machine on board. The way he just… remembered things that Tony said, little things that no one else would ever have cared about. Like picking up a certain part from a market that Tony had mentioned wanting a week earlier, or knowing which of the alien food Tony would prefer on his plate when he was late for dinner one evening.

And just… the way that Loki said Tony’s name, refusing to use anything but the full _Anthony_ , the syllables slightly lengthened like he was taking his time and revelling in being able to say it. Hell, even the way that Loki only smiled at Tony’s ridiculous nicknames even half a minute after turning Rhodey into a rabbit for _daring_ to use ‘Lokes’.

Yeah, so.

Loki was in love with him, and Tony wasn’t entirely sure what to do with that.

He still hadn’t worked out a game plan by the time Loki began to wake, his eyes blinking open and his lips curving into a smile as he saw Tony still pressed against his side.

“Morning,” Tony said, hoping that his injuries would hide the nervousness in his tone.

“How do you feel?” Loki asked immediately, his tone soft. “Are you—”

“I’m fine,” Tony promised. Then, when Loki frowned in disapproval, he quickly amended his answer to– “I’m not _worse_.”

Loki watched him with narrowed eyes for a few more moments, clearly not quite trusting his judgement on the matter. But he didn’t nag. He simply considered, before gently nudging at Tony’s shoulder to indicate that it was time to move.

Helping Loki extricate himself was only slightly less painful than it had been to lie down the night before, and Tony was _this close_ to simply telling Loki to stay put. But the thought of how that might sound – What if Loki thought that meant Tony loved him as well? What if Loki took it the wrong way? What if it made Loki uncomfortable? – halted the words on his tongue, and he simply grit his teeth and refused to let Loki know how sore he actually was.

When they were finally separated, Loki glanced about the room with a pinched expression.

“We don’t have any food,” he said, frowning.

“Okay,” Tony said, trying to remain calm, his mind already beginning the calculations. “How long did you say it would take Thor and the others to get here? We can manage for a few days—”

“No, you need sustenance to heal,” Loki said firmly. “Don’t be concerned, I’ll find us some.”

Well, that was true, except—

 _Find us some_.

Wait, no, that meant that Loki was planning on going back outside—

Leaving Tony _alone—_

“I’m fine,” Tony said, hoping the scratchiness would mask some of the desperate pleading in his tone. “Please. Don’t...”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but it seemed he didn’t need to. Loki’s expression softened, the sharpness melting away.

Really, Tony thought again. It should have been obvious.

They spent the next few hours speaking of anything and everything, just chatting and getting to know each other in a way that they hadn’t ever really had a chance to do before. Because on the ship, there was hardly ever a dull moment– and even when they were ensconced in Tony’s work space, there was always the reminder that they were not the only ones on the ship, whether it be Thor announcing that they had run out of pop-tarts again over the intercom, or Bruce walking in to work on a project of his own.

But now, they were well and truly alone, and no matter the circumstance that had caused it, Tony found himself beginning to enjoy the moment.

In fact, Tony almost made a game of it, trying to see how many times he could make Loki smile, and he thought there was a chance that Loki was doing the same thing. Tony still ached, and he couldn’t string too many words together in a row without it hurting. But they managed to hold a conversation peppered with soft touches that Loki seemed unable to resist and which honestly, Tony had no desire to discourage.

Loki was in love with him, and Tony… was starting to think that maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing at all.

After all, his reaction the night before, tired and slightly out of it, had been more or less instinctive. Pressing against Loki, wrapped up in his arms had felt _right_ , and Tony had been _happy_ when Loki had indicated that it was something he would want more of.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise, then, that Tony found himself encouraging those touches, and touching Loki back.

As the hours passed, and Tony’s eyes started to droop, he turned to look at Loki imploringly. Rather than any kind of complaint Loki merely sighed with a fond smile and moved to lie beside him again, pulling Tony into his arms with a touch of relief that betrayed just how much he never wanted this to end. And when Tony next awoke, it was to the sensation of deft fingers running comfortingly through his hair, and soft words murmured in a language that he didn’t quite understand, but which made him smile nonetheless.

When Loki realised that Tony was up, he reached to the side and pulled a strangely shaped bottle of water and a packet of some kind of food from the ground, and passed them to Tony with a stern expression. Tony took them, but despite his hunger and the dryness of his throat he merely turned them over in his hands before twisting him in Loki’s arms to look at him properly.

“You left,” Tony said, and although he _tried_ to hold in the accusatory tone, he knew that some of it seeped through. “I thought you were going to—”

“I would never leave you, Anthony,” Loki said, and the truth which sang under the surface of the promise cut off all other protests, leaving a lump in Tony’s throat. “You needed food, so I went to get some, but I ensured that you would be safe and I took no unnecessary risks.” He offered a light smile. “I would not leave you here alone to fend for yourself. Do not worry.”

Tony wanted to say that it was not _himself_ that he was worried about, at least, not entirely. Sure, the thought of being left all alone after everything that he had been through quickened his breath and stalled his heart– but the idea that Loki was going out there, out to a possibly hostile planet on which Tony had suffered so much felt like a tangible itch over his skin. And yeah, he _knew_ that Loki had killed all of the people who had taken him, but that didn’t make any difference. He just needed to know that Loki was safe, and that was a hard thing when he was too weak to even get out of the bed.

“Just let me take care of you,” Loki said, his lips touching lightly to the top of Tony’s head– so lightly that he doubted he had been meant to feel it.

And knowing what Tony did… how could he deny Loki that?

The hours began to bleed together, and Tony had no notion of how long it had been, no way to track the passing time save his intermittent sleeps and the way that Loki’s longing touches began to grow more and more frequent as they grew increasingly comfortable with each other.

He would always fall asleep in Loki’s arms– and sometimes, he would wake in them too, opening his eyes to the sound of Loki’s whispered words and the feel of Loki wrapped all around him. Tony knew that Loki believed he was overindulging himself, because there were times when he recognised a touch of guilt in Loki’s gaze.

The guilt was always more pronounced on the mornings that Tony woke up to a bed that was far too big and cold despite its tiny size, and Loki would be sitting against the wall on the far side of the room. It was never difficult to guess what had happened on those mornings, and Tony never commented on it. After all, it was only natural considering they were sleeping pressed so close together– and, of course, considering Loki’s feelings.

Tony did not doubt that had he not still been injured and unable to dream anything save for nightmares, he would have found himself in a very similar predicament. He wished that Loki wouldn’t feel _guilty_ about it though, because… well. There was nothing to be guilty for, and Tony found that he hated the thought of Loki beating himself down over something Tony didn’t even _mind_. But he also wasn’t sure how to broach the topic without shattering the easy comfort they had found in each other, so he just let it sit, and hoped that it wouldn’t fester.

And then there were the mornings when Tony would open his eyes to find additions to their small pile of food, and would know that Loki had gone out again, risking himself just because Tony needed him to. There were moments when Tony even considered asking Loki to try and heal him with his seiðr again, so that they could move to somewhere that was further away and maybe a little safer, or even just so Tony was strong enough to be able go with him, to provide extra support and help to keep him safe. But Tony saw how the trips outside drained him, and every time Tony woke to find Loki exhausted, he merely pressed closer and nuzzled into Loki’s side, and trying to show his appreciation in the only way that he could.

So, yeah.

Tony didn’t like that Loki was leaving, didn’t like the thought that he was alone and that Loki was going outside without any backup– but Loki was always, _always_ there when Tony woke up, and so long as he allowed Tony to reach out and pull him close, that was always enough to calm his racing heart.

He just wished that Loki would look after himself, as well.

—◇—

When the time finally came for things to change, it hit Tony like a sack of bricks. It wasn’t that he wanted to stay forever– of course it wasn’t, because the seriousness of the situation had never left him no matter how much he had come to enjoy spending time with Loki. But the break in routine was so sudden and jarring, just a simple thing but enough that it threw him off balance.

It was habit now, after all, that he would look for Loki as soon as he opened his eyes, either curling his hand in Loki’s shirt and simply turning his head to meet Loki’s green gaze, or looking to the other side of the room. But on that day, Loki wasn’t at Tony’s side, and he wasn’t over at the far wall, either. He was perched on the edge of the mattress just as he had been the very first time Tony had woken in that room, his back straight as he stared sightlessly at the ground.

“What is it?” Tony asked, shifting to sitting. It still hurt, but only a little– he was almost healed, now, almost at the point where he would be able to stand.

“I had a message from Thor while you were sleeping,” Loki said blandly. “The Revengers will be here in a few hours. We will be able to leave this place.” He turned his head and finally caught Tony’s gaze then, his lips curving up into a smile that was _almost_ real enough to hide his sadness. “We’ll finally be safe.”

Despite the relief that coursed through him at hearing that, Tony couldn’t help the slight frown that creased his brow. Because it was clear that while Loki was glad that they would be able to move to safety, that Tony would be able to sleep in a proper bed and heal the rest of his injuries in more comfortable surroundings, he was also quite obviously sad that their time of being alone together was about to come to an end.

And if he was being honest… so was Tony.

The circumstance had been forced through pain and fear, but what had come out of it was dependent on neither of those things. Tony’s nightmares had been chased away by Loki’s soft touch and whispered promises– and slowly, Tony had seen a side to Loki that he had never known was there before. And it wasn’t just that Loki was in love with him, that Loki cared so much more deeply for him than Tony could ever imagined—

It was the fact that Tony had started to care for Loki as well.

How could he not, when Loki took care of him with such tender affection? How could he not, when Loki made him laugh and smile even in the darkest of moments? When Loki’s touch comforted him more than anything else ever had, when Loki knew and understood him so much better than anyone else ever could?

There was something special about what he had with Loki, and Tony knew that no matter what happened next, he wouldn’t be quite so willing to let it go as Loki might be prone to believe.

Tony half expected them to be quiet as they waited for the Revengers, but the tension never came, and neither of them were willing to let this final moment pass. They joked and bickered like always, laughing as they prodded and poked, and through it all Loki’s fingers traced soothing patterns over Tony’s skin while Tony curled as close to Loki as he could.

And after one moment, as Tony laughed at something Loki had said, he glanced over to find Loki watching him with a small smile that ached with wistful longing. Tony’s breath caught as Loki’s fingers brushed his cheek, feather-light and hesitant.

“Anthony,” Loki whispered, his voice so quiet, almost like he believed he didn’t deserve to say it.

“Yeah, Lokes,” Tony replied. “I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere.”

Loki’s expression softened even as the longing became more pronounced, and then he was leaning down and pressing his lips to Tony’s in a kiss. It was the smallest brush of lips, the lightest of touches, and one of the sweetest kisses that Tony had ever experienced.

Maybe it was perfect because Loki loved him.

Or maybe… it was because Tony loved him back.

Tony did not remember closing his eyes, but when he opened them it was to find Loki watching him tenderly, the longing not lessened but now only accompanied with a touch of regret– though not, Tony suspected, for the kiss itself.

“I needed to try that,” Loki said, his voice low and laced with the yearning of far too long. “At least once, before this time comes to an end.”

“Only once?” Tony asked teasingly, and Loki’s lips quirked despite the way he was clearly feeling.

“I know that you do not feel as I do,” Loki said. “And I know that you have _noticed_. Thank you for indulging me these past days, and know that… if there is anything that I can do for you, you need only ask.”

It was a painful thing to realise what Loki was doing, to recognise that he was pulling up a front to protect himself. To _understand_ Loki had used these few stolen days to live what he believed to be only a fantasy– because he thought Tony was _indulging_ him, or maybe that Tony was acting out of thanks for all that Loki had done.

But… none of that was _true_ , and Tony knew that this would be his one chance to make Loki believe it.

So he raised his hand and cupped Loki’s cheek, smiling as he felt Loki lean into the touch.

“There is one way you could make it up to me, actually,” Tony whispered, and as he gently tugged him down, Loki’s eyes widened in shock.

Loki whimpered against Tony’s mouth as their lips pressed together for a second time, his hands threading through Tony’s hair and pulling him closer, kissing almost desperately, like he still thought that this would be the last chance. And when Tony went to pull back, Loki followed his movement, tilting up his chin to try and stay together for just a little longer. Tony allowed it, pressing another chaste kiss to Loki’s lips– but only for a moment, because there was something that he needed to say.

“That’s not a thank you,” Tony said, his lips still only a hairsbreadth from Loki’s. “It’s not gratitude, it’s not pity, and it’s certainly not an indulgence. This is just me, telling you that I _do_ feel the same way.”

Loki stared for a moment, looking a little overwhelmed– but then he surged forward and caught Tony’s lips in a kiss that was far more searing than either of the others, but no less sweet. Tony melted into it, not caring that his remaining aches and pains were making themselves known, just pouring everything he felt over the past days into every movement. And as they broke the kiss Tony leaned their foreheads together, not wanting to move away even an inch, and knowing that Loki felt the same.

“Anthony,” he whispered. “I never imagined—”

“I know,” Tony said gently. “And I feel like that’s probably something that I _should_ thank you for, because you never pushed. But there’s no need to hold back now.”

Loki smiled, and his voice was soft. There was still a touch of hesitancy, as if he were testing the waters as he said, “I love you.”

“I know,” Tony said again, his lips curling into a smile at the accidental reference. It was something he _might_ have wistfully imagined being able to say to someone when he was younger, but now that the moment had arrived, it didn’t even matter– because Loki was in his arms, and would be now for every night to come. “And I love you. It might have taken me a while longer to realise it, but I do, and that’s not going to change any time soon.”

Loki’s smile was bright and _happy_ as he pulled Tony in again– not for a kiss this time, but a tight embrace that warmed Tony all the way through. His delight was infectious, or maybe they were both just feeding off each other’s happiness. And when the communicator crackled with Thor’s voice, giving them the coordinates of the Revengers’ ship, they both left without a single backward glance, their arms wrapped around each other and thoughts of the future on their minds.

The circumstance that had brought them together might have been dark and dreary, but that didn’t tarnish their hopes in the slightest. Because really, so long as they both wished it, there was no reason why their days of closeness should ever have to come to an end.


End file.
